The Native Garden Ecosystem #7

Blue Skimmers, Orthetrum caledonicum are the numerous dragonfly to be seen in the garden now, with something of a puzzle connected with them. With the exception of one male, all have only faint traces of the pruinescent blue colour. At water bodies where they breed blue males are common, perhaps when they are in dry country where breeding is not possible the colour does not readily develop. The first image is of the semi-coloured male followed by an uncoloured male and a female.

Damselflies have been conspicuous by their absence, just the occasional Wandering Ringtail, Austrolestes leda.

The outer garden has trees of many species, including Angophora costata, where this larva of the Batwing Moth was discovered. More information is on Gippsland Mothing.

At times larvae of the Mealybug Ladybird are plentiful on the trees.

The flowers of the Brush Box, Lophostemon confertus aka Tristania conferta are very beautiful, but seem to be largely ignored by day flying insects, this yellow flower wasp bucked the trend.

To conclude, two shots of the Pale-flecked Garden Sunskink, Lampropholis guichenoti which abound throughout the garden.

Click to enlarge.